8 Highlights From The First Reviews Of Miley's Bangerz Tour

Early critiques are mostly positive, as they should be.

By
Alex Rees

Feb 17, 2014

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Miley's Bangerz tour started up in Vancouver on Friday night — she's now also played a date in Tacoma, Washington (on Sunday night). The first batch of reviews for the show are in, and they're mostly positive. Here's a handy roundup of the no-holes-barred highlights:

1. "Yes, there was twerking. But if Friday's opening night of Miley Cyrus' Bangerz North American tour proved anything, it's that the time has come to move the conversation about the former Disney star beyond the notorious move she pulled on Robin Thicke at last year's MTV Video Music Awards. Because there was a lot more happening onstage than just a saucy yoga pose." — USA Today

Incidentally, USA Today threw another serious accolade Miley's way, and said she's the potential to be the "post-Madonna Madonna." Their reviewer writes, "she can use her sexuality and mock it; she recognizes talent in others; she might even have that sixth sense of knowing where the culture is going, or where it can be taken. She also seems approachable, on- and off-stage, in a way that Madonna never did."

2. "If you approached the night as a drinking game centered around "famous Miley-isms" – extended tongues, strange singing cat animations, frottage and the like – well, you probably passed out long ago, never to remember the show." — Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone also applauded Miley's tour wardrobe, described as "a cavalcade of sparkling onesies, the likes of which are only otherwise seen at world championship skating competitions." AMAZING. That said, they noted one exception:

3. "Miley surprised the crowd by showing up on the opposite side of the venue for the much-anticipated acoustic part of the set. She was dressed solely in a baggy shirt — with her own glittery picture on it – and a backwards ball cap, looking remarkably like Justin Bieber." — Rolling Stone

Awkward.

4. "If they ever turn Spring Breakers into a musical, it would look a lot like Miley Cyrus' batshit crazy Bangerz tour, which kicked off in Vancouver. This weird and wonderful acid trip of a concert documents the adventures of a girl that took a walk on the wild side and decided to stay." — Idolator

Idolator's only issue was with the Bangerz setlist, which they argued was too focused on tracks from the Bangerz album — at the expense of Miley's previous work. They make a very strong argument: "Hannah Montana didn't die for "The Climb" to be snubbed like this!" (Also, "Nobody's Perfect," which is my favorite Hannah Montana song; I will never stop hoping it'll be played during her NYC show this coming April.) Alongside mention of Miley serving "Vegas stripper realness," here's another great Idolator quote, which sets the not-quite PG-13 scene:

5. "By [the half-way point] you're probably thinking the show couldn't get much wilder. I thought so too until the starlet performed "Drive" (this has to be the next single) while a vignette of topless images played for punters. A couple of families left at this point but I'd say Miley would take that as a compliment."

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One reviewer took a slightly less positive approach, however. Because there's always one:

6. "Miley Cyrus is like a cheap bonbon: A pop artist in a shiny, attention-grabbing wrapper. The candy itself tastes a lot like other cheap sweets found in the pop bin. But the exterior is so gaudy to look at you can't help but notice it standing out from the rest." — Vancouver Sun

Writing for the Canadian newspaper, Francois Marchand works the grumpy old man angle, describing, among other things, Miley's performance of "Do My Thang" in particular as "a kaleidoscopic, crotch-grabbing tune that felt like watching a rebellious teenager's Tumblr account come to life." And then there's the requisite Disney comparison:

7."In spite of all the shock-and-horror (not) of seeing Miley ride an oversized hot dog while clad in a feathery mustard yellow costume, Cyrus' Disney roots are still showing. The spectacle of the Bangerz tour is essentially a bad trip version of the Disney experience, a seedy underbelly vision of what Disney really sells children."

But let's end on a happy note:

8. "Cyrus had said in interviews leading up to this tour that she wanted people to take her seriously as a vocalist... Without question, she proved that talent beyond any doubt: unlike many stadium shows, there was no vocal "doubling" (singing along to a track of oneself), and she was only mildly supported by her background vocalists. In fact, Miley's music was front and center for much of the night, and from beginning to end – roughly 100 minutes long – she nailed her vocals throughout the entertaining evening."— Rolling Stone